


When Somebody Loved Me, Everything Was Beautiful

by KidWestHope16



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Child Neglect, Childhood Trauma, Comfort, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Natsume Takashi Protection Squad, Natsume Takashi's Terrible Childhood, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-10-19 15:14:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20659289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KidWestHope16/pseuds/KidWestHope16
Summary: Takashi had learned several life lessons earlier than he was supposed to. He learned the wrong kinds of lessons.Maybe learning new ones wouldn't be so bad this time around.Touko and Shigeru were determined to show Takashi that none of these lesson were truths in the world.They were setting him free one lesson at a time.





	When Somebody Loved Me, Everything Was Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

  * For [UnicornQu33n](https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornQu33n/gifts).
**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I called his name again and again. And I learned that each time, nothing called back. I learned that no matter how much you want something, how many times you scream to it, sometimes it’s out of reach. I decided to stop calling out for someone who would never call back.” – Natsume Takashi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fic title lyric: when she loved me by Sarah McLaughlin.  
Chapter title lyric: someone is waiting for you by Shelby Flint. The rescuers.  
Also since most of Natsume's relatives are nameless I will take the liberty of giving them names. Such as the previous family before the Fujiwara couple will have the last name Karasu. And the son who worried about Natsume will be called Shinji.

Takashi was hopeful that for once things would turn out alright. That he wouldn't have to be alone anymore, no matter how much he lied to himself. The truth was.

He was awfully _lonely._

but these people had chosen _him__._

_No one had ever picked him._

Maybe things would be different? He'd know when he left the hospital to live with them. But for now, he was getting to know Touko and Shigeru little by little. He learned that Touko has a crow that she considers her friend. That she likes parsley and tea. 

He's learned that Shigeru is very hard worker and appreciates the little things in life like sitting outside with Touko and going out with Touko. He learned that just recently they had gone to the aquarium.

<strike>One day he too would like to go on a family trip.</strike>

He learned that they'd been married over thirty years. It was reliable to hear that. Many of his relatives had been married for so little time.

He told them that he didn't have a favorite food. He didn't have a particular favorite color. He didn't have any ambitions. No goals or dreams.

It disheartened them. He didn't know what to say to them. _No one ever wanted to talk to him. Get to know him enough to hear about that type of stuff. _It wasn't until he's spoken with them that he realized how empty and bleak his future was. It's not like he really cared either.

Something about his apathy to his future changed them. They went from being soft and careful with him, to patient and generous. Brushing his silver hair out of his face. Resting weathered hands along his shoulders, or arms. Always within a certain distance, making sure he was aware and comfortable with their gentle, loving touches.

It was a new experience.

_Different._

_Exhilarating._

_Frightening._

The Fujiwara's came everyday for the whole week he spent in the hospital. 

On the last day, his belongings were placed into his room while he's slept. It stung a little to be abandoned like this. It wasn't the first time, partings and new beginnings had always been difficult. Each one differing, most all of them painful. For once he wanted to know if he had been more than a simple unwanted visitor. Sometimes this type of parting hurt the most. It was as if he didn't exist.

It was terribly lonely.

A carefully folded the torn paper and tucked it onto his box caught his attention. There was a short note from Shinji, it looked hastily written. 

> _'I'm sorry for everything Takashi. I hope you find happiness with the Fujiwaras. Stay safe._
> 
> _And if you find yourself in need of anything don't hesitate to call me. xxx-xxx-xxxx Karasu, Shinji.'_

Shinji had been nice. This was the first time, that someone had shown a sign that he'd existed. That they'd cared enough to leave a sign to show that he had been more than a simple footprint.

Whenever he was around he softened the edges of his parents, keeping their attention away from Takashi. Providing him equal opportunity as him to eat. 

A knock at the door startled him from his thoughts. He quickly made his way back to his bed and smoothed down the wrinkles in his shirt. His bandages had already been changed, and medications as well as instructions on how to take care of his injuries had been given to his new caretakers. It made him slightly nervous to have something so simple out of his control.

Last time had ended with his cousin addicted to opioids, and the blame had been lain on his shoulders.

"Takashi?" Takashi stilled. Had he already done something wrong? He looked down at his bandaged hands folded neatly atop his lap and waited with his heart thundering in his ears.

* * *

Touko shared a look with Shigeru before calling out softly once more in apology as she opened the door. Takashi was pale, sitting ramrod straight with his hands folded neatly on his lap. Three boxes stacked neatly by the bed. No relatives in sight. No sign that Takashi had been afforded a decent goodbye. 

_Had he meant so little to them?_

Touko felt her chest burn, but the unnaturally tense posture Takashi had adopted stayed her temper. 

"May we come in Takashi?" Shigeru asked squeezing her hand with understanding. Takashi jerkily nodded his head as he pushed himself off the bed wobbling slightly as he kept one leg off the floor. Touko resisted the urge to rush forward and instead crept closer until Takashi looked in her direction. 

He didn't meet her gaze, not like he did when they had first met or when he'd pleaded to live with them. She was okay with this, with keeping whatever boundaries he set up. She wanted to go at a pace that he was comfortable with. She wanted to _give, give,_ **_give_** him all the love he'd been denied.

"Are you ready to come live with us Takashi?" She queries softly extending her hand for him to grab hold of. He nodded his head shying back a little. Shigeru appeared at her side with a wheelchair.

"The doctor should be arriving shortly with your release papers." Takashi looked in his directions, lips parted as if to speak but ultimately remained silent. Touko shuffled forward and gestured for Takashi to sit back down until the doctor arrived.

"Are you hungry? Your face is a little pale, are you in any pain?" She asked reaching into her purse for his medicine when Takashi made an abortive hand gesture. She paused, bending down a little to peer at his bowed face. He looked frightened. She peered over her shoulder at Shigeru who had a pinched look on his face. Her heart gave a small jolt as she recalled one of his relatives complaining about opioid addiction.

"You don't have to take anything that you don't want to." He looked faintly relieved as he nodded in her direction.

Once he was bundled into the car, his belongings loaded into the trunk, they drove off. Takashi didn't once raise his head to look out the window. It made her heart weep at the resignation he wore like a familiar cloak. She had to stop herself many times from reaching out and grabbing hold of his folded hands. He didn't fidget as she heard many children often did.

His gaze was _distant._

As if he was miles away.

Touko wondered if he really wanted to live with them. She doesn't know how many homes he's lived in. What she does know is that each and every single one of them had _failed_ him.

Had _abandoned_ him.

_Neglected_ him.

_Abused_ him.

Had _given up_ on him. 

She recalls the low simmer of fury in her belly when Shigeru had dug up paperwork from an orphanage. The bright red ink condemning him to return with hateful and cruel people.

"Takashi-kun?" She called softly, gingerly moving to catch hold of his hand. He looked at her, no, he looked through her with a blank smile. Eyes shut as if to shut her out. His cool hand trembled faintly in hers.

"I hope we can give you the home you've been searching for." She whispered, wishing that she could reassure him that they would love him. That they would _treasure_ him for as long as he allowed them into his life.

His smile wilted, eyes growing more distant as he tipped his head in acknowledgement as he looked away from her. It made her heart clench as she realized that he'd probably heard empty promises like this before. 

_She wonders if they can help this lost weary soul with eyes like frosted glass. They won't give up on him like everyone else had. Even if he remains broken forever, she and Shigeru would treat him like the precious gift that he was. _

_Because he was a precious gift. Their weary looking bundle of joy. Tarnished or cracked, they'd love this child forever._

* * *

Shigeru parked the car and looked behind him to see Takashi sleeping. Touko lovingly holding his hand, keeping him hemmed to her side with a soft knitted blanket. It brought warmth to him to see how smitten she was with him.

He hopes that they can give Takashi the space he needed to recuperate from the burdens of his past.

"I'll bring his belongings in first." Shigeru spoke softly, Touko nodded her head as she ran her fingers through Takashi's silver hair. He absently thought about trimming his hair but decided to wait until Takashi was settled in more before bringing it up. He had far too many decisions made for him in his short life, maybe making some of his own would help him take back some form of control.

Shigeru hefted Takashi into his arms and frowned at how light he was. Didn't fourteen year olds weigh more than this? He put it out of his mind not wanting to worry Touko anymore than she already was. 

"I'lI get started on a late lunch." She said rolling up her sleeves with a glint in her eyes. Shigeru absently called over his shoulder to make something with meat as he made sure Takashi wouldn't slip.

He had just set him down when Takashi began to frown. He ran his fingers through Takashi's silver spun hair until the frown smoothened out.

"We're going to take care of you from now on. You don't have to feel afraid anymore." He murmured softly as he adjusted the blanket. He rose to his feet and exited the room, pausing once to make sure Takashi was safe and sound before slipping out of the room.

"We'll have to schedule another doctor's appointment to get a clearer picture of his health. And finish enrolling him in school." Touko hummed softly under her breath as she nodded in agreement. She carefully opened the letters that had overfilled their mail box.

"And we have to track down his birth certificate. Tachibana-san was the last known official carrier and he is willing to help us track it down." Shigeru continued after a moment, quietly accepting the letters from relatives that had various paperwork from taking Takashi in. It filled him with equal amounts of fury and remorse that so many of his relatives had taken this lost youth in and failed him so badly. Had been in such a hurry to rid themselves of him that they left a wide papertrail of where he'd lived. Osaka, Kyoto, Okinawa, Nagano and Tokyo, being some of the places he'd stayed the longest. Then there were the letters that had more information coming from prefectures like Gunma, Tokushima, Saitama, Eihime and even Tottori. Shigeru hadn't even know he had relatives there.

"It's going to be different from now on." Shigeru promised solemnly as he looked over the incomplete school records spread out before him. Touko meanwhile was taking notes of the hospitalization papers forwarded to them. He could see her writing down anemia, fainting, prone to illness, and mental illness with a question mark beside it and left her to it. 

They were not going to fail Takashi. 

It would be a steep learning curve for them all, but he was sure they'd all be able to make it work. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:  
Try- p!nk.  
Rockabye- Madilyn Bailey cover  
When she loved me- Sarah McLaughlin  
Something wild by Lindsey Sterling ft Andrew McMahon  
King by Lauren aquilina  
Someone is waiting for you- Shelby Flint  
Safe and sound the Julia Sheer cover  
Traveling song- Will I Am  
And for some reason... The entire Mulan soundtrack.  
Don't judge. *Shifty eyes*


End file.
